who remembers the scenario that forced Richard Nixon to resign?

[Lemon722]

9. It was must see TV but few were watching until everything exploded

I was just out of college, working my first job and no access to a TV so a radio was always on and we watched regular network news at night. Back then there were Republicans who actually had some decency and believed right wasn't automatically assigned because you were GOP. Still it took a mountain to turn them. Most of the GOP Senators were hanging in for Nixon until one remarked to John Dean (in my memory it was said sarcastically) when Dean testified about telling Nixon there was a "cancer growing on the Presidency" the senator said too bad there isn't a record of that or independent testimony and Dean said the Oval office was wired and the place went ape. Then everyone who HAD testified was called in again and verified yes there was a taping system. Then Nixon addressed the nation with a huge pile of bound books (our taxpayer funds at work) saying these were the transcripts, nothing to see here, move on. Then gaps were noticed special prosecutor wanted to hear the tapes. In desperation on a Saturday night Nixon ordered his AG to fire the special prosecutor, AG refused, he was fired, another in AG office appointed and I think two refused until the third one did fire Sam Ervin (sp) but new special prosecutor took up at the same point and demanded the actual tapes be made available and finally they were and the GOP listened to them and knew the ship was sinking fast so they bailed. They went to Nixon and said you will go on trial and you will be found guilty so he resigned. Ford had been appointed VP when Agnew was convicted of accepting bribes and Ford pardoned him. There is an argument that the pardon saved us a lot of pain but in my mind it was the turning point for the GOP to never face up to the truth Nixon never admitted wrong doing just resigned to spare the country. Dean, Hunt, etc. got jail time but not the #1 guy. Just as GOP never accepted or learned from their mistakes they carried that through W's disaster. I understand President O had too much on his plate but something should have been done to find W and group guilty of torture, etc.